Kam Kniss, CEO of Wheaton Bank & Trust, a charter in the Wintrust Community Bank family, has been named a Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 honoree for 2020.

“It’s an honor to be named to Crain’s 40 Under 40, among such outstanding peers,” Kniss said. “It’s a prestigious list to be a part of, and I’m proud to represent Wheaton Bank & Trust and Wintrust as a leader in our community.”

Kniss has been with Wintrust in various roles since 2010, including leadership positions in the company’s commercial banking division, where he was one of the first bankers to join the commercial lending team that propelled Wintrust into the business banking space. Kniss became CEO of Wheaton Bank & Trust in February of this year, where he focuses on leading the bank charter in serving communities and small businesses in Wheaton and the surrounding area, including Bolingbrook, Glen Ellyn, and Naperville.

Kniss joins the likes of other business, nonprofit, government, and cultural leaders who have made a vast impact on Chicago business and the community over the last 31 years since the feature was first established. It’s a prescient list that has predicted the path of future Fortune 500 CEOs, serial entrepreneurs, famed artists, civic leaders, and big-time politicos.

The list is made up of the most impressive group of business executives in Chicago, and none has yet celebrated their 40th birthday. The report honors people from the wide range of industries covered by Crain’s—technology, consumer products, real estate, health care, finance, and more—who are proven leaders in their field.